Karol Elizabeth Watson MD

Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Co-director, UCLA Program in Preventive Cardiology

200 Le Conte Ave# 365Los Angeles, CA 90095
Phone+1 310-825-8811
Fax+1 310-206-9133

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Summary

Dr. Karol Watson, based in Los Angeles, CA, is a cardiologist with subspecialty expertise in Preventive Cardiology. She completed her education at Harvard Medical School and further trained at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center, where she also completed her residency and fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease. She is a specialist in hypertension and lipid metabolism disorders. She has been a member of national lipid and hypertension guidelines writing committees. Dr. Watson has contributed to various publications on topics including racial disparities in diabetes and the biochemical response to Vitamin D3. She is a principal investigator in several clinical trials such as the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Her professional achievements include receiving CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification, recognition as a Super Doctor, and being named in Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare, as well as being a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the American Heart Association, Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, and Fellow of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology

Education & Training

UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical CenterFellowship, Cardiovascular Disease, 1992 - 1998
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical CenterResidency, Internal Medicine, 1990 - 1992
Harvard Medical SchoolClass of 1989

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Certifications & Licensure

CA State Medical License 1991 - 2028
American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiovascular Disease

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

CMS Meaningful Use Stage 2 Certification EpicCare Ambulatory 2014 Certified EHR Suite, Epic Systems Corporation, 2014, 2016-2017
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification EpicCare Ambulatory - Core EMR, Epic Systems Corporation, 2014, 2016-2017
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification EpicCare Ambulatory 2014 Certified EHR Suite, Epic Systems Corporation, 2014, 2016-2017

Clinical Trials

Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study Start of enrollment: 1996 Jul 31
COMPLETED
PHASE3
Daily Blood Glucose Trends in Patients at Risk for Diabetes Start of enrollment: 2023 Oct 01
UNKNOWN
NA
Roles: Contact, Principal Investigator, Sponsor-Investigator

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Lung function after randomization to metformin, lifestyle intervention or placebo in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS).
Carrie L Pistenmaa, Lindsay Doherty, Emilia A Hermann, Angela L Brown, Dana Dabelea
Respiratory Medicine. 2026-08-04
Neighborhood-Level Racial and Ethnic Residential Segregation and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
Utibe R Essien, Katharine Harrington, Shaina J Alexandria, Philip Greenland, Susan R Heckbert
Journal of the American Heart Association. 2026-07-07
Association of Subclinical Cardiac Remodeling With Incident Cancer in the MESA Cohort.
Xinjiang Cai, Quinn White, Jordan Juarez, Omar Chehab, Bharath Ambale-Venkatesh
Journal of the American Heart Association. 2026-06-16

Journal Articles

Association of Dysanapsis with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Older Adults
Alain Bertoni, Gerard Criner, Mark T Dransfield, Meilan K Han, Nadia N Hansel, Erin D Michos, Elizabeth C Oelsner, Karol E Watson, JAMA
A Reference Set of Curated Biomedical Data and Metadata from Clinical Case Reports
Shaun P Setty, Karol E Watson, Nature
Sex Hormones and Measures of Kidney Function in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study
Edward J Boyko, Karol E Watson, Ana C Ricardo, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Lectures

PCSK-9 Inhibitors Appropriate Use and Benefits Application in Minority Populations
2019 ACC Scientific Session & Expo, New Orleans - 3/17/2019
New Paradigms in Contemporary Cardiovascular Care: Application of Guideline-Directed Therapies Im plications for Minority Populations and Resolution of Dispariti...
2019 ACC Scientific Session & Expo, New Orleans - 3/17/2019
Interleukin-10 as a Predictor of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Population: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Contemporary Forums, Jackson Hole, Wyoming - 7/29/2012

Authored Content

Association of Dysanapsis with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Older AdultsJune 2020
For Stable Chest Pain, CCTA Evaluation Lowers Longer-Term RiskAugust 2018

Press Mentions

The Blood Pressure-Lowering Fruit That No One’s Talking About, According to CardiologistsNovember 18th, 2025
Harmful Cholesterol Levels Cut in Half with One-Time Gene Editing Drug in Early TrialNovember 8th, 2025
Triple Agonist Appears Promising for Patients with Severe HypertriglyceridemiaNovember 8th, 2025

Grant Support

MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (MESA) - FIELD CENTER (FC), TASK AREA AUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES2025–2026
Building BRIDGES: Coordinating the Dissemination and Training for Biomedical Artificial IntelligenceUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES2022–2026
Cardiovascular Scientist Training ProgramUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES1998–2025